Sulfur mustard (both in gaseous and liquid form) is a potent cutaneous vesicant which rapidly penetrates the skin and causes prolonged injuries, and is therefore representative of the percutaneous agents to the protection against which the present invention is directed. Sulfur
mustard, as an example of major hazards consists of β-chloro-diethylsulfide of the formula:which may further contain other components, such as other active compounds.
VX as an example for nerve agent: O-ethyl-S-(2-diisopropylaminoethyl-methylphosphothiolate), of the formula:

There are two main ways known in the art of protecting a person's skin against chemical warfare agents such as mustard: The first method is a passive protection which involves covering the skin with a protective cover, such as a protective cloth. This method has several drawbacks: firstly, the protective clothings are heavy and uncomfortable to wear for a long period of time, and therefore they cannot be continuously worn as a preventive measure. Secondly, the protective covers leave areas unprotected, such as the hands and neck, and therefore do not offer complete protection. Furthermore, such protective measures are quite expensive, which of course limits their usefulness.
The second method involves applying reactive materials to the skin, which react with the sulfur mustard gas and neutralize it. The drawback associated with this method is that it requires to apply to the skin active materials which generally are in themselves harmful, typically require the application of oily and uncomfortable materials to the skin, and furthermore are as yet only limited in efficacy. Additionally, such reactive materials are also generally required in large amounts, which are difficult to apply to the skin.
Other protections, which involve the use of creams which promote the creation of a polymeric film on the skin are also not very effective, since the film cracks and leaves areas below the cracks exposed. Furthermore, such films are thick and uncomfortable to the user. Another cream exists, which penetrates the skin, leaving an outer layer that can act as a matrix for active protecting agents. This cream also exhibits the drawbacks described above. In addition, this protective cream requires a thick layer to be applied. The above composition may be toxic to the respiratory system due to fumes emerging from smoking products, such as cigarettes, and thus it is not effective in hot environments or where fire is present.
The art, notwithstanding the many efforts devoted to the solution of this problem, has failed so far to provide a solution to the above problem, viz., a protection for the skin which overcomes the above drawbacks.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a protective agent which is effective against sulfur mustard and other chemical agents, such as VX, and which overcomes the drawbacks of prior art protections.
It is another purpose of this invention to provide a protective agent which can be applied to the skin often, which does not lead to discomfort, and which is not harmful to the skin.
It is yet another purpose of the invention to provide a protective agent which remains effective for a long period of time after application, in the order of 6-12 hours before exposure to the harmful chemical agent.
Other purposes and advantages of this invention will appear as the description proceeds.